Donald Trump has defended his special envoy Steve Witkoff as doing the standard thing after a leaked recording appeared to show him advising a Russian official on how to appeal to the US president.
Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he had not heard the audio, but that Witkoff was doing what a dealmaker does to sell a US-authored peace plan to both Russia and Ukraine.
The leaked call from last month emerged days after the 28-point draft peace plan was presented by the US, which largely reflected Russian positions on ending its full-scale war in Ukraine.
Witkoff has visited Moscow several times this year and will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin again next week. He has never gone to Kyiv in his role as special envoy, though other US officials have visited.
Trump stated his plans to hold further talks with the Ukrainians after the draft plan faced criticism from Ukrainian and European leaders, who found it too favorable to Russia.
In the leaked audio obtained by Bloomberg, Witkoff reportedly advised Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy adviser, on how to get on Trump's good side, suggesting specific approaches to better engage the US president.
Witkoff indicated that a successful conversation could pave the way for a potential peace deal, illustrating the ongoing complex dynamics as the US continues its diplomatic efforts regarding the Ukraine conflict.
